I am Stupid, but the Health Center is Not

Over the summer I had sex without a condom with a boy I did not know who had a lighter covered in Kanye West album art and wrote bad poetry. Needless to say, it was not one of my finest moments, but it happened, and I didn’t think much of it. I got to school and classes started, and things were great until my period was a day late. Naturally, I freaked out. I knew I was plain stupid for not using a condom, to begin with, and the mere idea of being pregnant with a child whose father I blocked on Twitter and hates Lil Yachty made me sick inside. Even though my period was only a day late, I convinced myself and everyone around me that I was roughly 25% sure I pregnant, and that I potentially had an STI. I would not sleep well until I knew I was zygote and disease free, so I went to the health center as soon as I could.

I’ve spent a good amount of time at the health center because I am a baby and cannot stand being sick. I never had a bad experience there, as they’ve tested me for strep and mono; they gave me those dope little green pills that are really just off-brand Mucinex, and they checked this weird cut I got on my hand that I thought was majorly infected. They are nice people. I was worried, however, that I would get lectured about using condoms and being pregnant and all that sex stuff people like me need to be reminded of every once and a while. Sexual health is still a topic most people don’t like to openly discuss, and when it comes to extra sensitive topics like unplanned pregnancy or STIs, it can be awkward, embarrassing, and shameful to talk about.

The nurses who helped me were anything but disrespectful, and they discussed the tests I could have done, the prices, and I never felt like they were judging me. There’s really no reason as to why they would be rude or condescending about this type of stuff, as they do work on a college campus and have presumably seen all sorts of horrific things. But young college students are relatively newly sexually active. We’re pretty inexperienced, we’re nervous, and we make mistakes.

When I was in the bathroom, (one of the nicest on campus I’d say) about to pee in a cup to determine whether or not I was carrying a child, I noticed that I had bled in my favorite pair of underwear. Huzzah! I was not pregnant. I went back out, told the nurse I had literally just gotten my period, and we were happy together. Taking care of your sexual health is not something to ever be ashamed about, and if you ever think something’s wrong, the health center can help you in a sensitive and judgment-free environment.